U.S. President Donald Trump called for treating the airspace over Venezuela as “completely closed,” urging airlines and pilots to “avoid the area.”

The call came after a shooting incident near the White House involving an Afghan migrant.

Venezuela responded with a strongly worded statement describing Trump’s remarks as a “colonial threat” that violates its sovereignty.

The escalation coincided with large-scale U.S. anti-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and the Pacific, which destroyed boats and dozens of casualties.